Election Returns

ELLISVILLE, Mo. (KMOX) – Ex-Ellisville Mayor Adam Paul is still in exile, after his allies on the city council couldn’t muster enough votes to reinstate him.

City Council members deadlocked Wednesday night over the proposal.

Newly elected Councilwoman Cindy Pool was considered by many to be the swing vote. She got groans from the audience for voting “no”.

“My constituents told me that they wanted this to stop,” Pool said afterwards. “Not necessarily for him to be back in office, but they wanted this to go away.”

The 3-3 tie came after passionate pleas from residents. One said: “There will be no moving forward until this is resolved. You can end it tonight and do the right thing, or continue to spend our money and make us a laughingstock of St. Louis County.”

Paul, who was elected last year, was ousted in April for allegedly illegally communicating with a Walmart developer and failing to keep control over council meetings, among other charges.

He’s now appealing the impeachment in St. Louis County Circuit Court, along with lawsuits against individual council members and the city.

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Pirrello, a leading figure during Paul’s impeachment trial, told KMOX News that he’d like to know how the ex-mayor is paying for defense attorney Chet Pleban.

“I don’t know where he has an unlimited bottomless pit of money to pursue all of this,” Pirrello said. “I think one of you all should be asking him that question. Where is all your money coming from?”

Paul has deferred KMOX questions about his personal expenses.

Pirrello: “The fact that he is continuing to perpetuate all these different lawsuits is only wasting taxpayer’s dollars. We have to defend ourselves. He is putting us in that situation.”

Pleban took the opposite approach, noting that the council could’ve avoided further expense by reinstating Paul.

The council voted unanimously to hold a special election for Mayor in November and also to hire independent counsel to advise them on issuing bonds in regards to the tax increment financing passed last year for a proposed Walmart.